Sir William Laird Clowes
Published: 2013-09
Total Pages: 74
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ...4.50 p.m., when the Blanco Enealada signalled the recall. 83. The Chilians expended 170 projectiles; the Peruvians 127, of which 78 were thrown from the Union's Armstrong rifled muzzle-loaders. A shell burst in the-hold of the Maranon, and the Rimac, Talisman, Chalaco, and Union were each struck more than once. Several shells also, passing over the ships, burst in the Oroya railway station and in the town beyond. 84. The Chilian ships were not risked, and the affair was probably intended by Rear-Admiral Riveros as a practical demonstration of the power of his new guns, rather than as an effort to destroy ships, which, if the place fell, would become his. The great range at which he fought was dictated not less by his desire to spare his own vessels than by his apprehensions of Peruvian torpedoes, for which his officers were continually on the look-out. 85. Off the end of San Lorenzo Island he had laid down permanent moorings, and there his ships generally rode in the daytime, getting under way at night, and leaving two small craft to guard the moorings. He also kept two torpedo-boats patrolling the bay at night, and these, in thick weather, frequently ran close in to the mole, or among the foreign men-of-war. Such stationary mines as the Peruvians had seem to have been close to the shore; but it is doubtful whether they laid many of them. On the other hand, they had several regular torpedo-boats, and a number of launches and small tugs that were fitted up for torpedo work. Some of these were occasionally employed as guard-boats. The Peruvians also had Lay torpedoes. One of their Herreshoff boats collided with the mole and sank, and a serious explosion took place in their torpedo factory at Ancon on May 1st. But though they made elaborate...